Numbers 16:8-39
English Standard Version
Chapter 16
8And Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, 10and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore it is against the Lord that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?"
12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, "We will not come up.
13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us?
14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up."
15And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, "Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them."
16And Moses said to Korah, "Be present, you and all your company, before the Lord, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
17And let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the Lord his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer."
18So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."
22And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?"
23And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24"Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."
25Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins."
27So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
28And Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord.
29If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.
30But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord."
31And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.
32And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.
33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"
35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
36Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
37"Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy.
38As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel."
39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar,